This invention relates generally to medical apparatus for the drainage of gastric fluids, to an improved anti-reflux valving system, and more specifically to a universal gastric drainage system which is adaptable to standard gastric tubes including orogastric, nasogastric, and the like.
The present invention relates to a portable, disposable gravity drainage system which can be used alone or in conjunction with various standard suction systems.
Heretofore, generally stationary suction systems have been used to supply continuous and/or intermittent suction for purposes of evacuating gastric contents at various times and for various purposes as are known in the art. These systems are bulky and thus cannot realistically accommodate the patient and/or medical needs requiring gastric drainage during transport and/or movement of the patient. Moreover, various medical conditions may require or dictate that gravity drainage be utilized.
Typically, gravity drainage collection devices employ belts, straps, eyelits and the like to achieve portability. Problems associated with such portable systems are, inflexibility insofar as providing an acceptable method of support for hanging systems, and lack of rigidity in the support devices used. Straps and belts rely on torous, rectangular or cylindrical objects for support. Attachment to flexible items such as clothing or draping is only possible with the use of tape or clips. In addition, straps do not add to the stability of the drainage system with respect to rigidity in maintaining the system in operable conditions; e.g., unfolded, open or straight. Shifting of weight in the system can go relatively unopposed or folding can occur making patient ambulation difficult.
While there are various medical drainage collection devices known in the prior art these all have various disadvantages and do not address problems specific to and are thus not readily adaptable to conditions specific to gastric drainage requirements and/or to requirements of standard gastric tubes and suction devices. Moreover, it is believed that the anti-reflux valving mechanism of the present invention addresses the foregoing specific conditions and/or requirements and solves problems with respect to a portable gravity drainage system heretofore unresolved by the prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,334,537, to Peterson discloses an improved anti-reflux valve, however, there is no provision for release of pressure build up or gastric gases upon closure of the reflux mechanism and it is therefore not responsive to gastric conditions including those prevelent in the gravity drainage of gastric fluids and/or gases either alone or in combination with a fluid receptacle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,661,143 is directed to a system for the drainage and collection of body fluids and arranges various chambers to provide a hydrostatic pressure differential together with a disclosed gas gap, however, it does not provide versatility and adapatability to gastric systems and does not provide an anti-reflux valving mechanism to prevent gas and/or fluid matter traveling back to the patient, nor is there any provision for exiting of gaseous matter upon closure of the drainage tube from the patient to the collection receptacle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,502 shows a multiple liquid sample collection apparatus joining a plurality of separable collection units however, there is no provision for anti-refluxing means either when considered as a unit or as between separable units and thus would not satisfactorily function in the environment of the drainage collection system of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,529,599 to Folkman teaches a rigid handle which provides support to the flexible drainage system, however, the handle provides no means for support to any object other than those which utilize belts or straps or protrusions of geometric configurations capable of vertically hanging the bag; they do not provide means for preventing the accidental disengagement from such devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,683,899 to Viltari and U.S. Pat. No. Re. 30,607 to Manschot et. al teach a support rod with strips which is deficient in that additional hanging support is required even though the rod does provide stabilization cords.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,502 to Resuner et al. discloses a handle, however, it provides no rigidity to the system and additional support is required. Moreover, folding of the bag will directly effect volume, thus any calibrations will be inaccurate. Also, a side to side shifting of the bag in transport (such as a patient walking) could be accentuated by liquid and cause a major shift in the collection portions position, thus further limiting the functionality of the device.
Exemplary of other drainage devices are, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,393,880, 4,338,480 and Re. 30,607 relating to urine receptacles, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,278,089 and 4,015,605 relating to wound drainage receptacles and receptacles containing sampling conduits and the like.
In view of the various problems, disadvantages and the lack of flexibility of various known collecton receptacles as these relate to the conditions of gastric drainage and the standard gastric tubes used in conjunction therewith, the present invention solves heretofore unresolved problems and fills a long felt need for a device adaptable to such conditions. In fact the various products currently used for gastric drainage conditions, were designed for other intended purposes, and used only in the absence of specific systems which properly accommodate the conditions present during drainage of gastric fluids. Not only do such products, including the prior art drainage devices have various drawbacks and limitations with respect to use in conjunction with gastric fluids and/or gases but many such devices and practices violate the safety of the patient as well.
For example, an asepto syringe has been used to irrigate gastric tubes however such syringes naturally have an airlock and will not function to promote gravity drainage. Moreover they are not readily adapted for use with gastric tubes, there is no anti-reflex valve to prevent fluids from being transported back into the patient, they do not provide a means to accurately monitor the drainage therethrough, and the amount of fluids coming from the patient can only be read when the syringe is inverted which would thus place the syringe in a position to discharge contents back into the tubing leading to the patient. The asepto syringe has additional disadvantages with respect to sanitary disposal, and the like.
Other bags and/or receptacles used for gravity drainage generally have no anti-reflex valve or are not adaptable to conditions specific to gastric drainage, contain no means to calibrate the asperate, are not transparent and therefore cannot be effectively used to monitor the gastric fluids, are not adaptable to standard gastric devices, cannot be readily secured thereto and thus do not permit a sanitary method of collection and disposal of the gastric matter either when the patient is statioery or when in transit. In many instances the gastric tube is clamped and/or plugged when the patient is in transit which generally causes risk to the patient such as, for example, gastric and/or abdominal distention as well as other gastric or gastrointestinal disorders. Also, these products do not provide a sterile environment from which the contents may be extracted for testing purposes and the like.